Avisail Garcia frustrated while shoulder on mend

But outfielder joins crowd in marveling at play of Jose Abreu and looks forward to joining him as force for White Sox next year

June 10, 2014|By Colleen Kane, Tribune reporter

Avisail Garcia doesn't watch many White Sox games these days.

The Sox right fielder said he doesn't stick around U.S. Cellular Field after rehabilitation to catch home games, and he doesn't view them much on TV.

He will check his phone for updates to see if the Sox are winning or losing, but actually watching his teammates play during a season in which he was supposed to be a major contributor brings a new kind of pain to his recovery from season-ending shoulder surgery.

"I don't watch the TV because it's too hard," Garcia said. "I want to be there. I want to play."

Garcia met with the media Tuesday, before the Sox's game against the Tigers, Garcia's former team, was rained out. It was two months and one day after he landed on his left shoulder while making a diving catch against the Rockies at Coors Field in Denver, a play that he watched a replay of once and "no more." He needed surgery to repair a torn labrum and avulsion fracture in his shoulder and now spends his days doing cardio workouts and shoulder exercises while inching back toward playing.

After joining the Sox last August via the three-team Jake Peavy trade, he has played in 50 games for the Sox but just eight this season. Postponing what was supposed to be his big break has not been easy.

"For me it's a lot (of disappointment) because I've been waiting for this for a long time," Garcia said. "I was with the Tigers so I didn't have too much playing time there. So I came here to get a chance to play every day and then I got injured. It's tough, but I'm just believing in God and getting strong in my shoulder."

The Sox have said Garcia is set to return to playing during 2015 spring training. If Garcia thinks he can make it back sooner, he wasn't letting on Tuesday, saying he will do whatever the team wants of him.

"I just have to wait," he said.

Waiting involves working out with Sox staff and meeting with teammates during home games. On the other days, he tries to have fun with his family to take his mind off the layoff.

Even though he finds it hard to watch the team, he does know plenty about Sox first baseman Jose Abreu, who was supposed to combine with Garcia to be a nice double punch of strong hitting in the Sox lineup this season.

"Amazing," Garcia said of Abreu. "He has a lot of power. He's great in the field. He has a great attitude, everything. He's good. I'm happy to have him here on the team, and I can't wait to see what we can do together. Let's see what happens. Let's go."

Next up: The Sox-Tigers game that was postponed because of the threat of rain for Tuesday night will not be made up during the series that continues through Thursday. The Tigers visit Chicago again Aug. 29-31.

Jose Quintana, Hector Noesi and Andre Rienzo will pitch in that order for the three-game series against the Royals starting Friday.

Jones, Lindstrom take steps: Right-handed reliever Nate Jones, who is out after having a microdiscectomy in his lower back, played catch throwing from 70 to 75 feet Tuesday. He said he feels like a "regular person" again in terms of being to do basic everyday activities and now is taking it day-by-day while getting back to being a pitcher again.

"At the beginning, it was a little rough," Jones said. "I had what I would call bad days when I couldn't even put on my socks. But that was to be expected. I've been getting stronger and now my everyday mobility is pretty good."

Sox reliever Matt Lindstrom had the cast and stitches on his left ankle removed Monday after he had surgery to repair a torn sheath protecting a tendon in his ankle. He said doctors were happy that there wasn't much swelling or atrophy in his leg, and he now is walking in a boot.

He said it has been "pretty encouraging" that he has been able to get workouts in while kneeling on one knee and hopping on one leg. He said he thinks there is "no question" that he will be back before the season ends.

"They're going to play good ball this summer, and I hopefully can add a little bit of that piece to get us going to the playoffs," Lindstrom said.